I Zoomed With Lisa Eldridge and Learned 7 Life-Changing Lipstick Tips

Lisa Eldridge is one of the most famous makeup artists on the planet. Having worked with Lisa over the years backstage at fashion weeks and on shoots for ELLE magazine in the UK, I wasn't in the slightest bit surprised when, last year, she launched the most exquisitely beautiful lipsticks. Each came encased in gold and with a texture like velvet, both in the bullet and on the lips. Everything Lisa does is so well thought out and brilliantly executed, from the stunning makeup looks she creates on celebrity clients like Lily Collins and Dua Lipa to the YouTube videos she has been filming and sharing for years (she has over 2 million subscribers!).

Recently, Lisa added to her lipstick collection with her new Fantasy Floral Lip Kits (around $84). "With the kits, I did four of the bestselling shades from last year because I knew people loved those colors and this gives them a chance to play with those colors and see what they can achieve and how can they adapt them. It's a sort of creative playset really," says Lisa.

Each velvet pouch has been printed with a stunning floral design by multimedia artist Jon Jacobsen that also makes the perfect clutch bag. Inside you'll find a True Velvet Lipstick, a new Gloss Embrace Lipgloss (that are super nourishing and not in the slightest bit sticky) and an Enhance and Define 'Beauty' Liner (that does not budge), all in the same shade (there are 5 shades to choose from, which includes the new shade Blush).

I caught up with Lisa to find out how to get the most from her new Fantasy Floral Lip Kits, while she talked me through how to do my makeup on Zoom. Keep scrolling for all the tips and the final look.

Play With Style

Do you like a flawlessly sculpted pout or do you prefer something a little more lived-in? With these kits, you can create the style of lip look you love. For me, I like to use a small eyeshadow brush and buff a bold lip color onto my lips, so it looks a bit like a lip stain with blurred edges. Lisa advised that I use my fingertip to tap the lipstick onto my lips first—the lipsticks are so pigmented that a little goes a long way—and then use a brush to buff.

Thanks to the addition of the lip pencil in the kit, you can also create a perfectly sculpted look that has more dimension, the choice really is yours. "The lip pencils are slightly deeper than the lipsticks so they give you more of a sculpted look because the lipsticks are already quite full coverage anyway," says Lisa.

Layer Up

Texturally, there are so many options. "My idea with the kits is that you either do a soft blurry lip just with the lipstick, or you can do the gloss on its own, which is very easy to wear. You can do the pencil with gloss over, or lipstick, pencil and gloss if you want to go all out!" Lisa tells me.

The lipsticks have incredible staying power (I bought three last year, and they really go the distance) so you don't need to layer the pencil underneath but if you want to guarantee a long-lasting look (say, it's your wedding day or a special occasion) then layer the pencil all over the lips before applying the lipstick. Lisa tells me you can apply a wash of the pencil all over your lips then top with gloss, to get a different feeling from the same color. "Create a light stain with the pencil and then apply the gloss and this will give it more staying power," explains Lisa. "Lastly, you can go for it and layer on all three! You can apply the gloss all over from the doe-foot applicator or pat it on with your finger just in the center of the lips like I did for a less high-shine look. Also, top tip, applying the gloss just to the middle of each lip can help them appear fuller.

Try a Jelly Texture

I used the shade Myth, a vivid, mulberry tone, and Lisa noted that with these bolder shades, you get an almost jelly-like effect when you wear them alone on the lips. You can accentuate this look by buffing a little lipstick or pencil on the center of each lip and washing the gloss over the top, for a sort of sheeny "just bitten" lip look.

Lisa Eldride Floral Fantasy Lip Kit in Myth $84.00

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Change Your Lip Shape

I have naturally downturned lips and Lisa explained that you can use the pencil to fake a smilier look. "I think what the pencils are really good for is changing the shape of your lips. If there is a little imbalance between your upper and lower lips, I tend to put the lipstick on and then cheat the lower lip to get the balance right between the upper and lower. Some people have one lip that is perhaps lower on one side or fuller compared to the other," says Lisa. You can also use the pencil to accentuate the shape of your Cupid's bow or blur it out for a rounder top lip, depending on the look you like.

Use as Blush

"One of the biggest questions I get asked is what blusher should I wear with my red lipstick?" Lisa tells me. "It is hard because you don't want to compete with the lipstick but you don't want to be out of sync with it either. With strong colors, when you're able to use the lipstick on your cheeks, you get a really coherent look."

Take a small blush brush and either pick up a little color from your lips (before applying your final layer) or from the bullet and buff it onto your cheeks. Then, using your ring fingers, Lisa says to "give your cheeks a gentle rub to blend the blusher into your foundation, so it really starts to get in synergy with the base."

Mix with Highlighter

If you're wearing a bold lip color, to keep that synergy going, Lisa also recommends blending a little of the lipstick on the back of your hand and mixing it with your favorite liquid highlighter. This simple but super effective trick will ensure that all the tones on your cheek play nicely and don't compete with your lips.

Use on Your Eyes, Too

You can also use the lipstick or gloss on your eyes, if you really want to go for the monochromatic look.

See below for the final look I created after Zooming with Lisa to get all her tips. I applied the lipstick with a small eyeshadow brush, accentuated my lip shape with the pencil and dabbed a little gloss on top. I then buffed a little of the lipstick onto my cheeks to tie the look together. With this shade, Myth, Lisa recommended I apply a little pale golden shadow just onto the inner corners of my eyes to give me a truly festive look.